Comments on: Memoir: The Quest for Purity http://trishlawrence.com/blog/2009/10/30/memoir-the-quest-for-purity/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=memoir-the-quest-for-purity A blog for burnt-out human beings. Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:22:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: realbrilliant http://trishlawrence.com/blog/2009/10/30/memoir-the-quest-for-purity/comment-page-1/#comment-810 realbrilliant Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:32:12 +0000 http://trishlawrence.com/blog/2009/10/30/memoir-the-quest-for-purity/#comment-810 Thanks for your post, Robert. You've just proved my point actually. I choose to look to God rather than Mr. Gothard for my guidance on how to love Him. I don't care what Mr. Gothard says. I care what God says. My quest for purity continues as I get to know God Himself. Now that I can run to Him when I fail without fear of reprisal or judgment from a man and his ministry, I am even more sure of His love for me and even more dedicated to loving Him above all else. God bless you! Thanks for your post, Robert. You’ve just proved my point actually. I choose to look to God rather than Mr. Gothard for my guidance on how to love Him. I don’t care what Mr. Gothard says. I care what God says.

My quest for purity continues as I get to know God Himself. Now that I can run to Him when I fail without fear of reprisal or judgment from a man and his ministry, I am even more sure of His love for me and even more dedicated to loving Him above all else.

God bless you!

]]> By: Robert Staddon http://trishlawrence.com/blog/2009/10/30/memoir-the-quest-for-purity/comment-page-1/#comment-809 Robert Staddon Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:06:49 +0000 http://trishlawrence.com/blog/2009/10/30/memoir-the-quest-for-purity/#comment-809 It is encouraging to hear how God is working in your life and you are learning to love Him first! I'm glad that you have come to the understanding that life is about a relationship, not about a list of rules. Praise God! Interestingly enough, I remember sitting in very similar sessions with Bill Gothard many times throughout the 90's. However, the truths of Scripture that I learned during those times have been a huge blessing to me in my Christian walk. They have been a springboard to a growing faith in God's promises and an ever-deepening relationship with my Lord. This has caused me to wonder. Why the difference? Perhaps this. What Mr. Gothard was sharing was intended for sanctification, not salvation. They were were practical steps of applying Biblical principles that he had found helpful in his life and counseling. They were building blocks that would only stack up when laid on a foundation of loving God. Without the foundation, they would become useless debris that only added extra weight and no structural benefit. Trish, now that you have the foundation, I would encourage you to ask yourself, "How do I practically demonstrate my love for God?" Like, every day. Like, right now. Jesus made it quite clear: "If ye love me, keep my commandments. . . . He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." (John 14:15,21) "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love" (John 15:10). Jesus is not talking about "the Ten Commandments" here. He says, "My commandments." We can find Christ's commands of love throughout all four Gospels. They were the theme of Paul's preaching. (See I Timothy 6:3.) They are very practical and very powerful, because they're usually exactly opposite of what our sin nature wants to do. :-) These have become the focus of Mr. Gothard's ministry: http://www.billgothard.com/bill/teaching/commandsofchrist/truedisciples/ http://www.billgothard.com/bill/teaching/commandsofchrist/whythebasicseminar/ And my favorite! http://www.dailysuccess.org Now that you have the foundation, you may actually find that Mr. Gothard's ideas for practically applying God's truth can be quite helpful. For example, meditating on Scripture as you go to sleep at night is quite refreshing! And, of course, as long as it doesn't become an idol, being an example of believers in purity isn't that bad of an idea after all. :) (See I Timothy 4:12.) God bless you! It is encouraging to hear how God is working in your life and you are learning to love Him first! I’m glad that you have come to the understanding that life is about a relationship, not about a list of rules. Praise God!

Interestingly enough, I remember sitting in very similar sessions with Bill Gothard many times throughout the 90′s. However, the truths of Scripture that I learned during those times have been a huge blessing to me in my Christian walk. They have been a springboard to a growing faith in God’s promises and an ever-deepening relationship with my Lord.

This has caused me to wonder. Why the difference?

Perhaps this. What Mr. Gothard was sharing was intended for sanctification, not salvation. They were were practical steps of applying Biblical principles that he had found helpful in his life and counseling. They were building blocks that would only stack up when laid on a foundation of loving God. Without the foundation, they would become useless debris that only added extra weight and no structural benefit.

Trish, now that you have the foundation, I would encourage you to ask yourself, “How do I practically demonstrate my love for God?” Like, every day. Like, right now.

Jesus made it quite clear: “If ye love me, keep my commandments. . . . He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” (John 14:15,21)
“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love” (John 15:10).

Jesus is not talking about “the Ten Commandments” here. He says, “My commandments.” We can find Christ’s commands of love throughout all four Gospels. They were the theme of Paul’s preaching. (See I Timothy 6:3.) They are very practical and very powerful, because they’re usually exactly opposite of what our sin nature wants to do. :-) These have become the focus of Mr. Gothard’s ministry:

http://www.billgothard.com/bill/teaching/commandsofchrist/truedisciples/
http://www.billgothard.com/bill/teaching/commandsofchrist/whythebasicseminar/

And my favorite! http://www.dailysuccess.org

Now that you have the foundation, you may actually find that Mr. Gothard’s ideas for practically applying God’s truth can be quite helpful. For example, meditating on Scripture as you go to sleep at night is quite refreshing! And, of course, as long as it doesn’t become an idol, being an example of believers in purity isn’t that bad of an idea after all. :) (See I Timothy 4:12.)

God bless you!

]]> By: Sharon Johnson http://trishlawrence.com/blog/2009/10/30/memoir-the-quest-for-purity/comment-page-1/#comment-796 Sharon Johnson Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:52:20 +0000 http://trishlawrence.com/blog/2009/10/30/memoir-the-quest-for-purity/#comment-796 keep on writing...this is great for the soul keep on writing…this is great for the soul

]]> By: realbrilliant http://trishlawrence.com/blog/2009/10/30/memoir-the-quest-for-purity/comment-page-1/#comment-794 realbrilliant Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:26:51 +0000 http://trishlawrence.com/blog/2009/10/30/memoir-the-quest-for-purity/#comment-794 Tinz, yes, you walked with me through this. I am so grateful for your friendship and love over the years. God is good. Anna, how nice to have you comment here. I am so excited by what God has done in your life and I know it's because He loves you so much! Cheers indeed. Jenz, thanks. Hard work, but worth it. Tinz, yes, you walked with me through this. I am so grateful for your friendship and love over the years. God is good.

Anna, how nice to have you comment here. I am so excited by what God has done in your life and I know it’s because He loves you so much! Cheers indeed.

Jenz, thanks. Hard work, but worth it.

]]> By: Jenz http://trishlawrence.com/blog/2009/10/30/memoir-the-quest-for-purity/comment-page-1/#comment-793 Jenz Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:23:10 +0000 http://trishlawrence.com/blog/2009/10/30/memoir-the-quest-for-purity/#comment-793 Powerful Trish. Keep moving ahead. Powerful Trish. Keep moving ahead.

]]> By: Anna Englert http://trishlawrence.com/blog/2009/10/30/memoir-the-quest-for-purity/comment-page-1/#comment-792 Anna Englert Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:07:28 +0000 http://trishlawrence.com/blog/2009/10/30/memoir-the-quest-for-purity/#comment-792 Truth! Thank you for blogging this friend. The peak into your heart is a glimpse back of where I too have come since the few days where we shared a room at the OTC. Thank you God for grace and giving us more than our own selves! I'm so happy to discover old friends who have seen beyond our past yet know the sweetness of true grace. Cheers to the freedom of knowing and loving our Saviour Truth!
Thank you for blogging this friend. The peak into your heart is a glimpse back of where I too have come since the few days where we shared a room at the OTC. Thank you God for grace and giving us more than our own selves! I’m so happy to discover old friends who have seen beyond our past yet know the sweetness of true grace. Cheers to the freedom of knowing and loving our Saviour

]]> By: Tinsa Schweitzer http://trishlawrence.com/blog/2009/10/30/memoir-the-quest-for-purity/comment-page-1/#comment-791 Tinsa Schweitzer Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:18:04 +0000 http://trishlawrence.com/blog/2009/10/30/memoir-the-quest-for-purity/#comment-791 I can so relate to this. Hmm...maybe because we walked together through it, eh? God has set us free to see that it isn't the religious adherance to a set of rules that keeps our hearts pure, it is the Holy Spirit alive in us transforming us to be pure and righteous before God. This is difficult for human nature to grasp because it requires faith. A lot of faith. Rules are comfortable and black and white. If you do a, b, and c, then all the pieces fall in to place, right? I remember meeting Bill Gothard the summer of 2000 and he asked me if I knew what the will of God was for my life. I answered no, not really. He told me he would give me a bookmark or something that had the twelve (or whatever the number was) steps to knowing the will of God for my life. Really? Why must we complicate the simplicity of what Christ did for us? Thank you, Trish. Keep writing. Keep listening to Him. I can't wait to read more. Love you! I can so relate to this. Hmm…maybe because we walked together through it, eh? God has set us free to see that it isn’t the religious adherance to a set of rules that keeps our hearts pure, it is the Holy Spirit alive in us transforming us to be pure and righteous before God. This is difficult for human nature to grasp because it requires faith. A lot of faith. Rules are comfortable and black and white. If you do a, b, and c, then all the pieces fall in to place, right? I remember meeting Bill Gothard the summer of 2000 and he asked me if I knew what the will of God was for my life. I answered no, not really. He told me he would give me a bookmark or something that had the twelve (or whatever the number was) steps to knowing the will of God for my life. Really? Why must we complicate the simplicity of what Christ did for us?

Thank you, Trish. Keep writing. Keep listening to Him. I can’t wait to read more. Love you!

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